Pavlos Andronikos, the president of Σ.Ε.Κ.Α. Victoria Justice for Cyprus Co-ordinating Committee has written to all Victorian parliamentarians to express “deep concern” following information that members of the Victorian Parliament have been considering establishing a Parliamentary Friends of Azerbaijan group.
The letter condemns any initiative that may “provide a platform for the Azerbaijani regime” in the Victorian parliament.
“Such an initiative can only serve to whitewash the Azerbaijani dictatorships crimes against indigenous Armenians, human-rights activists, journalists and political dissidents,” writes Andronikos.
Andronikos adds that as Cypriot-Australians, they understand the “agony and trauma faced by our Armenian brethren”.
“The military attack launched by Azerbaijan in September 2023 and the subsequent complete ethnic cleansing of the Republic of Artsakh’s (Nagorno-Karabakh’s) 150,000 Armenians brings back the similar pain and trauma of the occupation of Cyprus, which was imposed by force 50 years ago.”
In the letter, he condemns Azerbaijan’s “unprovoked military attack eight months ago, which forced all Armenians in Artsakh to flee their homeland”.
He adds that the ethnic cleansing was “coupled with the litany of crimes” committed by Azerbaijan, including the occupation of 215 square kilometres of territory and the “desecration of religious and cultural heritage”.
In the letter, Andronikos points to the “brutal, inhuman treatment of prisoners of war” and adds that “any attempt to establish such a forum is reprehensible”.
Andronikos specifically calls on Natalie Suleyman and David Southwick to rescind their invitation to an inaugural meeting on Wednesday, 19 June 2024.
“Should they fail to do so, we call on every single Member of the Victorian Parliament to take a principled stance and ignore their invitation,” Andronikos writes.
The letter adds that any attendance or participation in the forum “would send an inappropriate message, legitimising the crimes of Azerbaijan”.
“Each of you, as elected members, must take a principled stand and send a message to Azerbaijan that you will not allow the crimes of Azerbaijanis against indigenous Armenians and your citizens to go unanswered,” said the president of Victoria Justice for Cyprus Co-ordinating Committee.
